The invention relates to aspirators used in systems for inflating flexible products such as evacuation slides, rafts, or the like, and particularly to such aspirators which utilize flapper type valve means to control the flow of inflation air through the aspirator and into the flexible product.
In typical systems used to inflate flexible products such as evacuation slides, rafts, and the like, devices are used to induce or aspirate atmospheric air into the flexible product and inflate the same.
Such aspirator devices are known wherein high pressure gas introduced into the body of the aspirator induces atmospheric or ambient air or other gas to enter the aspirator body through flapper type check valve means at an inlet to the aspirator (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,829) and to exit the aspirator through an outlet normally disposed within the inflation chamber of the product to be inflated. Upon completion of the inflation operation, the aforesaid valve means appropriately seats at the inlet to the aspirator to prevent release of inflation air from the flexible product back through the aspirator. However, when the flexible product wherein the aspirator is situated is designed for use as a flotation device (e.g. raft), the valve means can be forced open by wave impact. Also, the valve means of the aspirator can often be accidentally opened either by a person or by contact with some structure outside the inflatable body causing a partial or complete release of inflation air from the flexible structure.
It has been proposed to include a locking device on an aspirator (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,290) in order to avoid this last described problem. However, when providing such locks, structural bulk has been added to the aspirator, particularly to portions of the aspirator which are intended for disposition outside the inflatable product during the inflation operation. This additional structure can interfere with efficient operation of other inflation system components such as hoses, or the like which can become twisted around or tangled upon the added structure. Also, portions of the inflatable product can hang up, snag or tear on this additional structure.